


The Earth Men

by pleasure_to_burn



Series: The Martian Chronicles [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Gen, M/M, Martian Chronicles AU, space travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-21
Updated: 2016-06-23
Packaged: 2018-07-16 12:15:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7267738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pleasure_to_burn/pseuds/pleasure_to_burn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean and the rest of the Second Expedition land on Mars.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

_August 2130_

 

_“Three…two…one…Touchdown! Welcome to Mars”_

 

        A round of cheers rang out over the automated voice playing through the ship’s speaker system which reminded the crew of proper landing procedures. The irony being that there had only been one landing before them and the fate of the First Expedition was still unknown. As the engines slowly ground to a halt below them, the crew of four continued to laugh and cheer at their success of reaching this distant planet. It had taken months to reach their destination and they were eager to have solid ground below their feet once again.

 

       “Dean! Come here and look,” Sam cried. His cry was partially muffled by the small window that was currently plastered against his face.

 

       “Sammy, how am I supposed to see when your ugly mug is blocking the whole damn window,” Dean replies with a laugh. Sometimes he can’t believe how he got stuck with such a giant nerd as a brother.

 

       “Right, sorry,” he mutters excitedly as he steps out of the way.

 

        Through the swirling clouds of dust that surround the rocket, Dean looks out into the barren valley that they have landed in. A single road winds its way through the basin and over the rolling hills in the distance. Overhead, the late afternoon sky appears blood red through the thick dust cloudsand tinges everything it touches in a crimson haze.

 

        “Alright, alright everyone shut up for a moment and get your asses over here,” Dean calls out over the din.

 

        With barely contained smiles on their faces, the small landing party gathers in a loose circle around Dean. Sam stood close to his brother, looking every bit like the overgrown golden retriever that he was. Charlie seems to practically vibrating where she stands, her excitement permeating the space around her. Standing next to her and rounding out their expedition was a smirking Jo who probably was just happy because they were finally going to have solid ground below their feet.

 

        “Well everyone, we made it here in one piece so that’s a good sign,” Dean began. “But now we are diving headfirst into uncharted territory. As far as we know, the First Expedition burned up entering the Martian atmosphere and never reached the surface so we are flying blind here. Since sunset isn’t that far off, my vote would be to hunker down here for the night and start fresh tomorrow morning.”

 

       “Aye aye Captain,” Jo retorts with a half assed salute.

 

       Each of them retreats to their respective areas of the rocket to gather the supplies they will need for their exploratory mission tomorrow and to gather their thoughts on what they might face out there. They are on the verge of something that no one else has accomplished and Dean can’t quite squash the tiny tendril of hope that is currently making a home around his heart.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 

_Knock, knock, knock…_

                Naomi looked up from her book, annoyed that she was interrupted in the middle of a very intriguing discussion on the fall of the Third Republic and had now lost her place on the page. She glanced toward the door. She wasn’t expecting any company today, so whoever was at the door could simply come back later.

_Knock, knock, knock…_

                  Interrupted from her book yet again, she glared at the door and whoever was so determined to disturb her few moments of peace. Didn’t they know that this was her only free time before she had to work later on that day? With a sigh, she set down her book and made her way to the front door. Through the peephole, there stood a small group of people that were covered in dirt and seemed thoroughly exhausted on her front stoop. Presuming it would be far simpler to tell them to leave then hope that they stopped knocking any time soon, Naomi quickly opened the front door to greet her unwanted guests.

                  “Yes? Can I help you?” she asks impatiently.

                   “You speak English! Dean, can you believe that?” the very tall man standing in the back cried out.

                   “I speak the language I have always spoken,” Naomi replied, starting to grow weary of her visitors.

                   “That’s awesome! You speak English very well,” the same man continued. The small group of four was all dressed in similar gray uniforms which were caked in red dust and sweat.

                    “Again, what do you want?” she demanded with her mouth set in a tight line.

                     “You are a Martian!” the girl with flaming red hair interrupted. “Oh wait, you probably don’t know what that means. That’s what we call you on Earth. That’s where we came from. I’m Sergeant Bradbury, and that’s our captain right there,” as she gestured to the other man in the group. “We’ve just landed on Mars and have been exploring all day.  I can’t believe we actually made it, the Second Expedition! Well there was a _First_ Expedition, but nobody really knows what happened to them so here we are! And we are talking with our first Martian!”

                    “Martian?” she questioned, her eyebrows raised in suspicion.

                    “What she means to say is that you do live on the fourth planet from the sun. Correct?” the shorter of the two men intervened.

                    “Clearly,” she snapped, fighting the urge to roll her eyes at them.

                    “So we” -he gestured towards his chest- “we are from Earth. Right guys?”

                    A chorus of affirmations sounded from the other three.

                    “You ought to use this planet’s correct name,” Naomi stated, “It is called Tyrr.”

                    “Tyrr, that’s an awesome name,” the taller of the two men decided. “But I have to ask you ma’am, how is it that you can speak perfect English? Obviously you have never been to Earth before…”

                    “I am not speaking _English_ as you say, I am thinking,” she replied testily. “Telepathy. Now good day to you all.”

                    She slammed the door in their faces and was quite finished with their nonsensical conversation that had interrupted her day.

_Knock, knock, knock…_

                     She threw the door open once again. “What could you possibly want now?”

                     The group stood there on her stoop with their mouths open in shock. The shorter man stepped forward, putting on a carefree and charming smile.

                    “Now ma’am, I don’t think that you understand…”

                     “What?” she interrupted.

                     His smile faltered at her harsh behavior. “But we’re from _Earth_ , don’t you get it _!_ ”

                     “I don’t have time for this nonsense,” she replied. “I was in the middle of the chapter I had planned on finishing and then I have to tidy up the house before I head to work. Evidently you wish to speak to my husband, who is upstairs in his study.”

                     “Fine,” the man responded tiredly. “Let’s speak with your husband.”

                      “He’s busy working.” She slammed the door again.

_KNOCK…KNOCK…KNOCK_

                     As she opened the door yet again, the whole group barged through the doorway and into the small landing inside the house.

                     “Now you listen lady, we have come too damn far to have the door slammed in our faces. We aren’t going to leave this house until we talk with someone!” the shorter man threatened.

                      “You disturb my book, then you track dirt all over my home…” Naomi muttered to herself. She straightened her clothing and cast her eyes back to the group. “Wait here, I will see if my husband has a moment to spare. What was your business?” she replied in a clipped tone.

                       “Jesus Christ woman! Go tell him that we’re from Earth and that its never fucking happened before!” the small blonde girl yelled.

                       “What hasn’t happened before?” she pondered. “Never mind. Wait here.”

                       The small group of travelers made themselves as comfortable as possible in the small hallway while they waited for the woman to return with her husband. Overhead in one of the upstairs rooms, they could hear two voices arguing in an unsubtle manner about their unwanted house guests. 15 minutes had passed since the woman had gone upstairs and she had not yet returned. As the time continued to stretch on without the reappearance of their host, the landing party made their way into a small kitchen that was through the first door off the hallway.

                       A half-hour passed as they waited patiently at the table in the small kitchen while the voices continued upstairs in hushed tones. Through the open window, a sweltering summer breeze lazily drifted in and clung to the travelers like an anchor.

                     “Certainly is hot here,” Sam commented to no one in particular.

                     “No kidding,” Charlie replied.

                     45 minutes had now passed. Finally fed up with their host who had still not resurfaced, they set out to explore the rest of the house. They entered a large open living room near the back of the house and found Naomi sitting in her armchair reading a sizable book.

                     “Oh my, I knew there was something that I had forgotten,” she stated as she looked up from her book.  “I’m sorry about that.” She stood up and crossed the room.

                      “Here take this, Crowley is much too busy to see you.” She slipped a piece of paper into Dean’s hand, then walked back to her armchair. “Anyway, he is not the one you want to speak with. You want to visit Metatron. Take that note and follow the canal over the next hill to the next house you see. He will be able to give you whatever it is that you want.”

                     “Well, let’s go guys,” Dean said with a sigh. There was clearly nothing more to gain from this situation.

                      The group of four set out again into the afternoon sun.

 

 

**҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉     ҉҉҉҉     ҉     ҉     ҉     ҉     ҉     ҉**

                  Exactly a half hour later, Metatron was sitting in his library attempting to find inspiration for the story he was attempting to write. As he absently scribbled at the blank page in front of him, the dun of footsteps and voices floated in through the open window above his desk. Peering out the window, he saw a group of two men and two women approaching his front door.

                 “Are you Metatron?” the shorter of the two men called to him from below the open window.

                  “That depends. Who’s asking?”

                  “Mr. Crowley sent us to see you,” shouted the captain.

                  “Oh did he now, why would he do that?” Metatron asked.

                  “He was busy so he sent us here,” the red head replied.

                  “Well isn’t that just dandy,” Metatron quipped sarcastically. “Does he think that I have nothing better to do with my time than to entertain you lot while he doing such _important_ work?”

                 “Can you focus for two seconds, this is not the important issue here,” the captain yelled.

                  “Oh really, because this is the only issue to me at the moment! I have stories that need to be written down and preserved for the next generations. I have books that need to be read! This is not the first time Crowley has pulled something like this, not by a long shot, that ungrateful little demon. Stop waving your arms about until I finish. And pay attention. People usually listen when I talk. Either you listen politely or I won’t talk to you at all.”

                   The group of four stood there with their mouths gaping at their acquaintance. With frustration written on their faces, they held their tongues and waited for the man to continue.

                  “That wasn’t too hard now, was it?” Metatron continued. “Now, do you think it’s fair of Crowley to be so rude and inconsiderate?”

                   The hot afternoon sun beat down upon them as they stood in front of the house. “We’re from Earth!” the captain yelled.

                   “I think it’s quite unbecoming of him actually,” Metatron sulked.

                   “A rocket ship, a big one. We came in it. Over there!”

                    “It’s not the first time he’s been unreasonable, I’ll have you know.”

                    “Are you listening? We came all the way from Earth!” Dean cried.

                    “I have half a mind to call him up right now and tell him off for this outrageous behavior of his”

                     “It was just the four of us. Me, my brother Sam, Charlie, and Jo. They’re my crew.”

                    “That’s an excellent idea. Yes I will call him up and give him a piece of my mind!” cried Metatron.

                     He disappeared from the window and once again the weary group was left to fend for themselves. For a brief moment, they could overhear raised voices carrying out through the open window as their disagreeable host argued over some strange device. The hot sun continued to beat down on them. As they stood waiting for Metatron to return, each of them cast their eyes towards the hill where their wonderful rocket was waiting for them to welcome them back.

                   As suddenly as he had left, Metatron was back to his window sill with a smug smirk firmly planted on his face.

                   “The nerve of that egocentric little oaf! I certainly put him in his place, that hellspawn. He had the audacity to..."

                    "ENOUGH!" Dean exploded. "I don't care about your petty shit. I just want to know where I can find someone to talk to about our voyage from Earth!"

                      Metatron jaw dropped at the stranger's rude behavior; he had never been spoken to so insolently before in his entire life. And apparently the man wasn't finished.

                     "We spent freakin' months trapped inside a tin can hurtling through space to get to this god-forsaken planet and you would think we would at least get a 'congratulations.' I'm not asking for a freakin' parade here!" he finished with an exasperated sigh.

                    "Wait, did you say you were from Earth?"

                     "Yes!" all four cried out in unison.

                      "I see know, that explains it all," Metatron mused with a smug smile unfurling across his face.  "You need to see Castiel, yes that's the one. Follow the road into the city, you will find him there."

                      With that, he retreated back towards the solace of his library.

                      The four were left standing in the hot afternoon sun, blinking up at the space where their unwilling host had previously occupied. They stood there for a moment, stunned at the sudden dismissal and also exhausted by the day's events so far.

                      Sam looked down the dirt road that lazily wound its way through the hills towards the town that Metatron mentioned, then turned and looked back in the direction they had came.

                       "Well guys, I can't see today getting much worse so let's go check out this city and see if we can get some answers out of this Castiel guy," Sam sighed.

Once again, they set out into the afternoon sun.

 

**҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉     ҉҉҉҉     ҉     ҉     ҉     ҉     ҉     ҉**

Four long shadows stretched out over the dusty path as the travelers finally near the city. The city itself sprawled out on the shore of a small silvery lake, with a complex system of canals weaving their way through the many multi-story buildings that line the lake's shore. It would  have been a wondrous site to behold, but the four weary adventures found themselves filled with despair when they observed the sprawling metropolitan area. They had no plan for how to find this Castiel individual and whether he would send them away like everybody else they had encountered.

            "So not to rain on anybody's parade, but what's the game plan here?" Jo asks as they cross over a canal which seems to divide the city from the desolation they had trekked through. "This city is huge! How are we supposed to find one guy in this place?"

            "I guess we just start asking around if anyone knows where this Castiel guy lives, somebody has to know," Sam replies.

            "Alright you heard the Moose, get to it!" Dean yells.

            The landing party began asking every Martian that crossed their path if they knew a person named Castiel or where to find one, but they were met with harsh words and strange looks from those they asked. Many Martians they encountered simply crossed the path to avoid a conversation with the group of four. Dusk was beginning to fall over the city and the expedition party was running out of patience and daylight. Just as they were about to abandon their search, a small blonde child of about 8 years stepped in front of their path.

            "I heard  you asking about Mr. Castiel," the little girl stated. "What do you want with him?"

            "We would very much like to meet him," Charlie intones gently. "See we came all the way from Earth, and have been told that he is the man to see."

            "You say you are from _Earth_?" the child questions.

            "Yes, all four of us came in a big rocket and landed not far from this very city," Charlie tells her.

            "If you are from Earth, you definitely need to see Mr. Castiel. Follow me."

            The group of four stand in shock for a moment as the child begins to walk away, but quickly catch up to the young girl. She moves briskly across one of the canals, then weaves down an ally in between two large buildings with ease. She comes to a stop in front of a small two story building with a sign they cannot read hanging above the door, tucked in the shadow of the towering structures that surround it. She knocks once and then motions for them to all enter with her.

            "Hey Castiel, are you still here?" she calls out into the cluttered room.

            "Claire, what are you still doing out? Your parents are going to be worried sick," a deep raspy voice says from behind a desk from deep within the room. His face is obscured by overflowing piles of paperwork scattered on the large metal desk.

            "I found these four wandering the streets looking for you. They say they came in a rocket from Earth" she says with a roll of her eyes.

            The owner of the voice stands up from the desk. His bright blue eyes survey the room and its four strange inhabitants.

            "From Earth?" the Martian repeats. "Very well, I'm glad you brought them to me Claire. You better get home before your parents start to worry."

            "Ya whatever you say Castiel. See ya."

            As the young girl departs, Castiel turns his attention to the group of four standing in front of him. His eyes slowly pan through the group without saying anything, as the others fidget under his questioning gaze. After several agonizing seconds, he finally speaks.

            "Forgive me, my "people skills" are rusty. My name is Dr. Castiel Collins. How may I be of assistance?"

            "Well doc, I'm Captain Dean Winchester and this here is my crew. We are the Second Mars Expedition Team and have been all over this godforsaken rock today trying to find someone who would give a damn that we _flew all the way from Earth to get here_! So we would appreciate a little sympathy at the moment."

            The doctor was silent for a moment after the outburst, then a wide smile crossed his face.

            "Mr. Winchester, we have been waiting for you and your companions arrival for many days now. Everything has already been prepared, the celebration has already begun. But first you must fill out the proper forms."

            A collective sigh rang out from the weary travelers at the doctor's words. The doctor gathered up the paperwork and passed it to the captain to sign. Once he finished, he moved to pass the papers to Jo but it was quickly snatched from his hand by the doctor.

            "Please follow me."

            Castiel walked briskly across the room and opened a metal door that the group hadn't previously noticed. The four travelers follow closely behind the doctor as he weaves his way down the darkened hallway in front of them. They pass several metal doors until they reach a slightly larger one at the end of the long corridor. A murmur of voices can be overheard just on the other side of the door. The doctor fumbles around in the pockets of the oversized trench coat that drapes over his frame before pulling out a ring of keys to unlock the door.

            "Here we are. Everyone is waiting for you on the other side."

            The door opens and the group files in. The room is filled with approximately twenty other individuals that have all stopped what they were doing to investigate the new arrivals. They move slowly closer to greet their guests.

            "Hello everyone, my name is Captain Dean Winchester of Earth and this is Sam, Charlie, and Jo of the Second Expedition. We are glad to meet you all."

            As he speaks, a collective shout rings throughout the whole room and the crowd is filled with excitement. Behind them, the door clicks shut.

            "You are from Earth, you say? So am I!" a tall gangly man in the back cries out.

            "Me too!" another voice from the crowd replies.

            "But we are the first to reach this planet from Earth. The First Expedition never made it through the atmosphere," Jo remarks.

            "It's not possible, is it?" Sam questions. "Has space travel been happening for centuries without our knowledge? What country are you from?"

            "I _am_ from Earth!" the man yells. "I'm from the country of Tuiereol. I came by the spirit of my body, years ago."

            "Tuiereol? Never heard of it," Sam asks cautiously. "And what is this about spirit of your body?"

            "And Miss Masters over here, she's from Earth, too, aren't you, Meg?"

            "Sure am," a small brunette woman replies with a smirk. "So are Lilith, Inias, and Ruby."

            "I'm from Jupiter," declared one man, preening himself.        

            "I'm from Saturn," said another, eyes glinting slyly.      

            "Jupiter, Saturn," murmured the captain, blinking.

            The room grew uneasily quiet. For the first time, the travelers looked around the space in which they now stood. The rest of the room's inhabitants were standing or sitting around tables that were strangely empty for a room that was supposed to host a celebration.  There were no windows inside the space, but the light seemed to be seeping through the walls. Finally, Dean noticed the only door had been shut behind them.

            "Alright this is nuts. Where on Earth is this Tuiereol? It can't be near America," the captain questions.

            "What is America?"

            " _What is America_? You all say you're from Earth but don't know where fucking America is?

            The tall gangly man drew himself up angrily. "Earth is a place of seas and nothing but seas. There is no land. I am from Earth, and know."

             "Wait a minute." Sam says slowly to himself. "You look like a regular Martians."

            "Earth is a place of all jungle," said Meg proudly. "I'm from Orri, on Earth, a civilization built of silver!"

            "What the hell are they talking about?" Jo asks impatiently. 

            "Oh God, I get it now..." Sam mutters mostly to himself.

            "Get what Sammy?"

            "This is no celebration," replied Sam tiredly. "This is no banquet. These aren't government representatives. This is no surprise party. Look at their eyes. Listen to them!"

            The four space travelers looked around the room at the Martians surrounding them, their eyes glowing softly in the dim lighting  as they swayed slightly.

            "Now I understand" Sam's voice was far away "why everyone gave us notes and passed us on, one from the other, until we met Castiel, who sent us down a corridor with a key to open a door and shut a door. And here we are..."

            "Where are we, Sam?"

            "Dean, this is no welcome party. We're trapped in an insane asylum."


End file.
